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Salt Lake City staff propose brown historic-district street signs; commissioners favor tweaks to keep street names legible
Summary
Public services staff presented three prototype brown signs to identify local historic districts; commissioners generally favored Option B for prominence of "Local Historic District," raised concerns about logo changes and legibility, and asked staff to return to city council with cost/installation options.
Julie Crookston, deputy director for the Salt Lake City Department of Public Services, presented a proposed historic-district street-sign program and three full-size prototype designs to the Historic Landmark Commission. The signs are brown to conform with common practice for historic districts and are intended to help visitors and new residents identify historic neighborhoods and enhance neighborhood identity.
"There has been a lot of public interest and also some council interest," Crookston said, adding the department developed a standardized design to make maintenance more efficient. She told commissioners the signs meet state and federal standards for street signage and estimated the materials would last "at least 10 to 15 years," depending on sun exposure and damage.
Commissioners focused on readability and future maintenance costs. Several members said they preferred Option B because it gives greater visual emphasis to "Local Historic District" while keeping "Salt Lake City" visible but less dominant. "B is probably the best in that local historic district is larger and more prominent," one commissioner said, urging minor typographic tweaks to reduce perceived white space.
A dissenting voice told the commission the signs risked sending an exclusionary message and called the idea "elitist and a waste of resources." Crookston pushed back that brown historic-district signs are a nationwide precedent and that staff can explore adjustments to font weight and layout to improve legibility.
On next steps, Crookston said staff would take commissioners' feedback and present installation and funding options to the City Council; council action would determine whether signs are installed all at once or phased in as replacements are needed.
The commission did not take a formal vote on the sign designs; commissioners provided guidance and asked staff to return with refined mockups and cost/installation scenarios.
